Another 10 Contemporary Artists You Ought to Listen To

It's that time again, time to remind you that there is hope for the future of music, once you sift through the cheap, creatively bankrupt, assembly-line talent polluting the airwaves. Which I have done. It's a sacrifice, yes, but it's for a good cause.

The following bands cover a pretty broad range of genre/style, so I doubt the average reader will like them all. That being said, I do like them all, and I think anyone can appreciate their merit as musicians, if not necessarily enjoy them.

So without further ado, let's check out these bands.

10. The Stills



What do you know, another band from Canada (specificially Quebec). Like the others on these lists, The Stills are pretty good (obviously). Pretty active throughout the early 2000s, they sadly disbanded in 2011, though I discovered them after the fact, so no big deal I guess. Anyways, I first came in contact with them after watching The Trotsky, a weird movie about a high-school student who believes he is the reincarnation of Leon Trotsky. That's beside the point. The Stills are great, let's move on.

9. Kacey Musgraves



I don't really know if I should even bother putting Musgraves here since she is well-known and has received lots of coverage in various media. Nevertheless, I'm going to mention her for a few different reasons. She has received attention since her music covers a lot more moderate and liberal topics/themes than most country music does. Whether you agree with said topics/themes will obviously vary from person to person, but regardless it is actually interesting in contrast to a lot of contemporary country. People whined about John Denver too, and he was one of the best country artists of the last century.

Not only that, but she is one of the few popular Country artists of this time who is actually singing real country music. It's nice for a change.

8. Lydia Ainsworth

Lydia Ainsworth is yet another Canuck musician, all the way from Toronto. I first heard her music while I was listening to NPR last winter, which was good enough that I looked her up. Predominantly an electric artist, her music is about 50-50 for me, but that which I do like, I love. For example her cover of Wicked Game, as seen above.

7. The Main Squeeze

A self-described blend of funk, soul, and rock 'n' roll, The Main Squeeze was founded in Indiana in 2010. I first heard about them when they came to Big Sky, MT in 2014. In the 5+ years that they have been touring and recording, The Main Squeeze have released two albums. They are not especially well known, which is a shame, since they are dang good. 

6. Electric Guest



Electric Guest is a fairly new LA based band with an interesting sound. Their body of work is pretty miniscule (one album thusfar), and it I'm not 100% sold on everything they do. But when they are on they are spot-on. They have sort of a folk-funk sound that I might describe as contemporary old-school.

5. The Leopards



Okay, so this one is a bit of a doozy. The Leopards are a Finnish band and are pretty darn obscure. It doesn't help that there is another band called The Leopards, who are from Manchester and are slightly less obscure. Perhaps then it is fortuitous that the latter Leopards are calling it quits (to the best of my understanding), though they also are pretty good and it is sad to see them go.

The Finnish Leopards have sort of an aggressive rock/pop/rockabilly sound. The rockabilly revival movement is really strong in Scandinavia (go figure), and a lot of the bands there are great, but aren't really doing anything new, so its nice to see The Leopards experimenting. Plus there is nothing better than listening to Scandinavians butchering English. One of life's simple pleasures really.

4. The Helio Sequence



The west-coast continues to be represented in The Helio Sequence, a duo from Oregon. Similar in some ways to The Black Keys and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Helio Sequence have been around since just prior to the turn of the century. As alternative rock groups go, I wouldn't necessarily say they are head and shoulders above others, but they are consistently good. I can take just about any one of their albums, sit down with my headphones on, and be perfectly satisfied with what I hear for the next hour. And some of their songs, like the above one for example, are very, very good.

3. The Trews



 These guys are actually pretty famous, but not famous enough, in my humble opinion. I first heard about The Trews while I was living on Prince Edward Island. They are from the Nova Scotia city of Antigonish and have successfully restored my hope for rock and roll.They have a pretty devoted fanbase (dubbed the Trewbadours) and have toured Canada, the US, and the UK pretty extensively. Hopefully they make it out to MT sooner than later.

2. The Quebe Sisters



I apologize I was not able to find a still-frame video for The Quebe ("kway-bee") Sisters, but it's really not a big deal anyways. I first discovered them while listening to The Prairie Home Companion. Texas natives, the three sisters (Grace, Sophia, and Hulda) and their guitarist and bass players have been tearing up the fiddle since 2002. They have some of the best harmony I have heard in a long time, and are probably some of the best current players of swing.


1. Rod Picott



Artists who are "real" are not necessarily uncommon, but they are always a breath of fresh air when you discover them. Picott is like this for me. While his music doesn't speak to me on the same level as Corb Lund (another "real" artist), for example, he puts a lot of feeling and personal experience into his music, which reminds me a lot of Stan Rogers. Musically, his style is a good mix of country and folk, with a bit of blues mixed in, which reflects the content of his music very well.


 For the first two lists, check these links: 1; 2 

Quest for Simplicity

Elections are just around the corner, relatively speaking, and things are pretty crazy. I have taken it upon myself to become an educated citizen of these great United States as well as a responsible voter.

The dark side of becoming informed is that I have become increasingly cynical. Every time I watch the news or turn on the radio, I find myself wanting to return to the good old days back when I was a little kid without a care in the world.

Unfortunately, time travel is not a viable technology, which has forced me to consider more practical solutions. Thankfully, after careful consideration, a solution has in fact presented itself. It is very simple and entails three easy steps:

 

1) Locate a small, uninhabited, tropical island on Google Maps.
 

2) Canoe out to the island.
 

3) Live there for the rest of my life.

Simple, eh?

It will be glorious. I will canoe out to that island. I will eat coconuts and tilapia all day. I will swim with dolphins and play with the Humboldt Squid. I will fish with spears and dive for abalone, and I will live like a king.

In the long hours of the night, I will compose sonatas in my head and I will rise in the morning to write them in the sand, and then watch the tide wash them away forever as the sun sets.

I will carve chess pieces from coconut shells and play against myself for weeks until Bobby Fischer himself descends from Heaven to say, “Hey, you did it, kid. You're one of the greats now.”

We'll sit down and have lunch, Bobby and I, and play a friendly game of chess. After a nice long chat, he'll wave goodbye, promise to visit again, and depart as he arrived. He won't return of course, he'll be too busy practicing for when Boris Spassky kicks the bucket to remember to visit me. But it's the thought that counts.

I will tally the passage of days on a rock that I will have named Sunny. Every year, as close to my birthday as I can guess, I will build a raft from palm leaves and drift wood and contemplate sailing back to civilization, before pushing it out into the current. I will watch it drift away until it disappears across the horizon. Then I will return to my hut and eat a delicious dinner of tilapia-coconut stew before lying down on the sand to watch the stars before drifting off to sleep, without a worry or care in the world.

Of course there are downsides. Canoes are expensive. And I can only imagine how quickly I would get sick of eating tilapia and coconut. Plus chess gets boring really quickly. And truth be told, I don't think Humboldt squid are particularly playful. Also, who can really say the French ever really stopped testing nukes in the South Pacific?

I guess I just have to admit my idea is probably flawed. But there are always other options.

Cryogenics for example. Ol' Disney had the right idea. Who needs time travel when you can simply wait for the World of Tomorrow to come to you? After all, a harmless bit of freezer burn never hurt anyone.

Right?

Based on a False Story

I was just watching a movie. It claimed to be based on a "true story." I acknowledged this declaration, assumed that it lacked real meaning, and changed the channel.

While this may seem cynical, it bears remembering that very rarely do the words "based on a true story" actually carry any weight. Take Remember the Titans for example. Great movie, heartwarming message, truly a masterpiece. Unfortunately it is a masterpiece built upon questionable interpretations and dramatizations of historic events. When I first found this out, my heart was crushed and a little piece of my innocence was destroyed.

As a result, I developed a cynical attitude towards that phrase, "based on a true story." How could I not? After all, adaptations of fiction rarely hold true to their source, so why should adaptations of real events? Disrespectful as it may be, expediency, simplicity, and personal agenda will almost always take precedence over the truth, especially when money is involved.

That is the world in which we live, I suppose. It wasn't always that way; words once had meaning. By no means do I wish to return to the past. But, and here I paraphrase Peter Hitchens, I wish we had chosen a different future.

As I changed the channel, I found myself wanting to produce a movie. It will be a biopic of President Obama's tenure as Commander-In-Chief, and it will be titled "Fistful of Change." It will be directed by Clint Eastwood. The attention to detail will be like unto nothing previously seen in the history of cinema. No expense will be spared. No fact will be unchecked. It will be the most faithful adaptation of anything ever.

And the tagline? The tagline will be "Based on a False Story". It will appear at the end of every trailer in big, bold lettering, narrated by that guy with the charismatic voice who always narrates trailers.

People will question the meaning of those words. I will say nothing, and it will drive them nuts. Steadily, hype will build until the opening day, when the curious masses will flood into theaters across the world and fill the seats with uncertain anticipation.

They will leave the theater unable to speak and will have to process the experience for weeks. President Obama himself will leave the theater in a daze, having watched eight years of his life relayed back to him with more accuracy than his own memories could ever muster, and he will be filled with a sense of wonder and shame.

When people ask, "how did you do it?", I will turn over hours and hours of footage showing the meticulous process that the film crew endured to make sure every detail was correct, that ever blade of grass and lock of hair was in the right place, and that every word was spoken in the exact pitch and tone that it should have been.The critics and public will marvel and say, "There has never before been such a faithful adaptation of real events, and there never will be again."

But one thing will bug them. What does "Based on a False Story" mean? Why that? Is it some sort of damning indictment of the Obama years? Is it a secret code to activate an army of Russian sleeper agents? They will be desperate to know, and they will ask me again, "What does it mean?"

I will say, "Oh that? No reason. Why?"

And they will respond, "Well, that's false advertising, isn't it?", to which I will shrug my shoulders noncommittally and say no more. It will bug them for years and years. I will continue to make biopics over my lifetime, each one more astounding in its attention to detail and factual accuracy, each one emblazoned with the words "Based on a False Story."

 Long after I am dead, when each of my films are recognized as the definitive representations of the events they covered, networks will desperately try to have the words "Based on a False Story" stricken from the title sequence, but it will all be in vain.

They will go to their graves, asking "Why? It didn't reflect the contents of the movie at all. It was perfect, none of it was false! None of it!" And then, like a bolt of lightning out of the blue, the epiphany will strike. The irony will no longer be lost upon them. They will understand that "Based on a False Story" was a meaningless platitude all along, put there for the simple purpose of tormenting them, just as the meaningless tagline "Based on True Story" tormented me.

Perhaps, if only for a moment, they may be bewildered by the lengths to which I went to prove a relatively minor point, but that bewilderment will be replaced by horror. They will understand at last that this was the future they chose for themselves.

So what's the moral of this story? I don't know, but what I do know is that I have said my piece. Stay classy out there, folks.

Another 11 Films You Ought to See

Here's some more movies that you can save for a rainy day. Here's the previous list.

11. That Thing You Do



That Thing You Do is a movie about The Wonders, a band from Erie, Pennsylvania that never existed. Starring among others Steve Zahn and a pre-Lord of the Rings Liv Tyler, That Thing You Do is a fun, fast-paced movie that covers the rise and inevitable fall of the band without taking itself too seriously. The movie has likable characters and a great soundtrack, and wraps up with a satisfying conclusion.

10. Three Days of the Condor



Three Days of the Condor is one of several films that inspired The Winter Soldier. A political thriller that plays on the whole theme of not being able to trust anyone, Three Days of the Condor stars Robert Redford and Faye Dunaway, as well as a memorable roll from Max von Sydow, which I believe was probably the chief inspiration for Jean Hamme's character The Mongoose in XIII. This movie does a great job of building paranoia and has several good twists.

9. A Life Less Ordinary



 This movie is sort of like The Adjustment Bureau but much, much more zany. In it, a young man snaps and decides to kidnap a young heiress and hold her for ransom. He is comically inept, and soon she has to step in and help him. Romance ensues, which is mucked up by a pair of angels who arrive to try and set their relationship straight. It's weird. Really weird. But definitely worth watching.

8. Richard III



This is an adaptation of Shakespeare's famous play set in an alternate 1930's Great Britain. Featuring Ian McKellen as the titular character, this is one of the more clever adaptations I have seen. Richard's famous "Now is the Winter of Our Discontent" is used as a political speech. His brother and sister-in-law are patterned after the famously fascist King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson, which is a particularly interesting way of reconciling the play with the politics of Britain in the 1930's. But regardless of whether you appreciate those particular nuances or not, it is just a good film and adaptation in general.

7. The Court Jester



This movie never ceases to crack me up. I love The Court Jester. Danny Kaye does an excellent job of balancing the delivery of razor-sharp wit alongside slapstick comedy throughout the movie. The other characters are excellent as well, ranging from what I can best describe as a Musical Batman to a hilariously incompetent evil King who makes Disney's Prince John look like Machiavelli.

6. The Third Man



A mystery film set in post-WWII Berlin, The Third Man features a number of excellent plot twists and one of the more interesting antagonists of cinematic history. Not a happy or feel-good film by any means, The Third Man is an interesting film which encourages you to think and try and put the pieces together yourself.

5. Source Code



Directed by Duncan Jones, aka Zowie Bowie, the son of glam rocker David Bowie, Source Code is an interesting look at time-travel; sort of an especially intense Groundhog Day scenario. For whatever reason I hardly ever hear about this film, which is a bummer since it is pretty good. I first watched this with my cousin and sister and I was skeptical at first, but over time I have come to appreciate it.

4. The Fantastic Mr. Fox



Another Wes Anderson film? Yep. Apparently there was a lot of curiosity when it was announced that Anderson was going to be directing a stop-motion film. Would his idiosyncratic style translate to the new medium? Well, The Fantastic Mr. Fox was an emphatic yes to that question. Maybe I should not post this here, since it is well known, but dang it, if you have been sitting on the fence about watching this film, bite the bullet and check it out. At the very least it will give you something to talk about.

3. The Great Race



This 1965 movie is the ancestor of all bizarre, crazy race films with wacky over-the-top villains. That's a very specific genre, I know, but it is what it is. Much like The Assassination Bureau, The Great Race is a period piece with an excellent cast, great score, and non-stop action and humor.

2. Better Off Dead



Better Off Dead was a movie which mocked 1980's teen films that was actually made in the 1980's. It is very hard to describe. It starts out sort of normal before quickly breaking free of the bonds of realism and sanity. When I first watched it I had no idea what to expect, every scene topped the one that came before that. Some of the many things that are featured include: A Korean high-schooler who learned English by listening to Howard Cosell, a newspaper boy who may be able to transcend space and time, a burger which comes alive and sings, and a bunch of other stuff I have forgotten. That doesn't begin to quantify this movie. Just watch it.

1. Gattaca



One of my favorite movies and one of the best sci-fi films of all time, Gattaca investigates the potential cultural consequences of human genetic manipulation and one man's attempt to subvert the expectations placed upon him by society's elite and to succeed. There are numerous social metaphors that can be applied here, but even without those in mind, this is a poignant film with interesting characters that provide a great deal of food for though. Check it out.

Star Wars: TFA (This Fan's Analysis)

Another Hope?

Years back I can remember George Lucas saying that there was no chance that a sequel to Star Wars would ever be made. Well, it is 2015 and Episode 7 has hit theaters. George Lucas probably feels pretty stupid right now.

When I first heard that Disney had bought Lucasfilm and that they were working on producing a sequel trilogy, I was living in Nova Scotia and had no access to the internet. At first I was sure it was a prank, so surreal was the news. When it was announced that JJ Abrams was going to be the director, I was cautiously optimistic. Abrams, who at that time was probably best known as the man who breathed new life into Star Trek's corpse, admitted that he was a huge Star Wars fan while growing up (when you re-watch Star Trek with this in mind, it becomes readily apparent). Not only that, but I really liked his previous work.

I did wonder if Abrams was going to let feelings of nostalgia for the original films get in the way of doing something new and exciting.  It was always a gamble, and I was never sure. As time passed and promotional materials surfaced showing familiar scenes with desert planets, X-wings, Tie Fighters, and a guy with a scary mask and a red lightsaber, I resigned myself to the apparent inevitably of Episode 7 being a throwback to the original trilogy. But, I figured, what the heck, it still could be good.

The month prior to the release of the film was crazy. Star Wars fans came crawling out the woodwork, and it was pretty awesome. Everybody was freaking out; it was almost like the Second Coming had been announced to land on December 17th.

After waiting a few days for everything to calm, I drove into town, bought a ticket, sat down in front of a row of old hippies, and leaned back. Good vibes were all around.

I relaxed. It's going to be good, I thought, all your worries were misplaced. It's gonna be great.

Two hours and twenty minutes later, I left the theater. I drove home, texted some friends to let them know I had just seen the movie, and I thought somewhat deep thoughts. And then I decided to write them down. So, without further delay, here's my analysis of Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Oh right, and there will be spoilers.

The Good:

About a half-hour in it struck me that in a lot of ways The Force Awakens is a call-back to the scifi serials that inspired George Lucas to create Star Wars, like Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers. I don't know if this was deliberate on JJ Abrams's part, but the more I think about it, the more I am convinced it is so. The Force Awakens moves quickly and does not spend time on politics or lore-building, but instead hits the ground running. You know who the good guys are and who the bad guys are. The characters are likeable, the story is easy to follow, and it moves along with blazing speed till you hit the credits. Out of all the Star Wars films, it is probably the most straight-forward and easy to jump into.

Additionally, the casting for The Force Awakens was great. The movie introduced four major new characters in the form of Poe Dameron, Finn, Rey, and Kylo Ren, who were all played by relatively low-profile actors, which works out very well.

 
The returning actors also do a great job. Harrison Ford is having the time of his life playing Han Solo, which makes his death an especially hard pill to swallow. Leia returns, now as the General leading the Resistance. Luke appears for about a minute at the very end and says nothing, but hey, he looks great. I was a little disappointed when the immeasurably great Max von Sydow was slaughtered in the first five minutes or so, but overall all of the veteran actors had a good showing.

If I had to pick one character which stood out to me, it would actually be Kylo Ren. He is presented with surprising depth and character development, especially in regard to other characters in the movie. I sort of expected him to be a clone of Darth Vader (what with the mask, red light saber, deep voice, etc.) but he is actually the anti-Vader.

In fact, he fears that he is too weak to follow in the footsteps of Darth Vader, whom he worships, and is constantly tempted by his inner good, as opposed to his inner darkness. Try as he might, he is not able to become the villain that he so desperately wants to be. Over the course of the film, you are actually able to watch the progress of this struggle and learn more about where he came from and how he got there. It works very well, and the character turned out to be my favorite, much to my surprise.

Oh, and I have mention Supreme Leader Snoke. Played by Andy Serkis (a.k.a. Ulysses Klaue a.k.a. King Kong a.k.a. Gollum), Snoke is the tragically named leader of the First Order, who, as best I can tell, apparently shares plastic surgeons with Lord Voldemort. I'm not sure why I liked him, though if I had to say, it'd probably be the name. Just imagine the New Republic propaganda:
 
“Don't Be a Dope, Join the Fight Against Snoke!” 

“You may laugh at Snoke, but he ain't no Joke!” 

“Choke Snoke: Buy War Bonds Today!” 

It practically writes itself.

Anyways, the special effects, to no one's surprise, were amazing. Absolutely gorgeous. The dogfights and spacebattles were intense, the alien monsters were suitably weird, and there was a good mix of animatronics and puppetry with CGI to create the alien characters. Almost all of the scenes with the Starkiller Base were incredible, whether it was firing its main laser or absorbing a star.

In terms of directing and edition, there weren't a whole lot of scenes that absolutely stood out to me, though there was nothing I found particularly bad (minus a few bizarre scene transitions). There was one scene that I really liked, where Han Solo confronts Kylo Ren, who earlier was revealed to be his and Leia's son. I didn't just like this scene, I loved it; This scene is perfect. It actually caught me off guard by how great it was. I will do my best to break it down.

Earlier in the film, Leia had asked Han to bring their son back, to which he agreed. So when he is faced with the choice of revealing himself and risking death, or escaping from the enemy base, he chooses the former. Why? Because Kylo is his son, and he loves him.

What results is a surprisingly nuanced confrontation with some good symbolism. Han walks out on the bridge to talk to his son, who is standing in a slowly fading pillar of light. After a moment, Kylo removes his helmet and they speak face to face. Han pleads with Kylo to leave the First Order behind and come back to his family. The struggle on Kylo's face is palpable, and he finally asks Han if he is willing to help him, to which Han readily agrees. Kylo extends his lightsaber, seemingly in surrender, and Han moves to take it. And then the pillar of light, which has been fading the entire time, disappears entirely, leaving only the red lights inside the station to illuminate Kylo's face.

At that moment, I seemed to me that the darkness inside Kylo had won, and that there is no more light to tempt him any more. Whether he genuinely intended to surrender to Han, or if it was only a ploy all along, he makes his final decision and kills his father, whose last action is to reach out to him before falling away.

I don't know; maybe I'm an easy sell when it comes to this sort of thing, but in retrospect I still think it was surprisingly poignant. Was I happy that Han died? No, which is why I was so surprised that it ended up being, in my opinion, the most well constructed scene in the whole movie.

The Bad:

Like I mentioned, prior to the release of The Force Awakens, I thought it might end up being a throwback to A New Hope. Well, I was right. The Force Awakens is just one step away from literally being A New Hope, as told by JJ Abrams. It was almost as if they hired Christopher Paolini to write the script. In case you don't follow my meaning, I am going to provide you with a nice infographic someone else put together.

I will be the first to say that not all of the comparisons drawn in the above picture are necessarily valid as criticisms but the point still remains that the parallels between The Force Awakens and A New Hope are pretty blatant.

Why did JJ Abram do this? I have no idea. My best guess is that he felt that getting back to the basics was the only way to get around the stigma that the prequels had left on the Star Wars franchise. And, truth be told, that is not wholly a bad idea. Unfortunately, the execution was not well done, and we didn't get anything really new.

In terms of the characters, once again I have no problem with the actors. What I do have a problem with are some of the directing and scripting decisions taken, especially for the new characters. Not much character development happened. Admittedly it must have been hard to even manage the characterization that we did get, what with the relatively short running time of the film and large ensemble cast. But some decisions that were taken not only prevented character development from happening, but actively took away from the characters.

For example, opportunities for character development were eschewed in favor of comic relief. Finn, who actually does have an interesting back story and motivation, was a victim of this. Don't get me wrong, humor is fine (the one scene where I laughed out loud was when Finn was interacting with BB-8), but when overdone it comes at a character's expense, especially one who was not intended as comic relief.

And lest I forget, I have to talk about the Space Nazis. In the Original Trilogy, it was pretty apparent that the Galactic Empire was influenced by Nazi aesthetic and dogma, yet it was subtle enough that you didn't think "Oh, space nazis! They're totally space nazis!" while you watching the film, which was good since that would have been disengaging.

In the Force Awakens, however, the Nazi themes are upped to an egregious degree, complete with the stiff-armed salutes and a fascist speech courtesy of General “Totally not Tarkin!” Hux. A couple people actually started laughing at this part, and I was myself was thinking, "Yep, they are totally space nazis." This stylistic choice was obviously intended to convey just how villainous the First Order really was, but that was redundant since they had already slaughtered a village full of innocents at the beginning of the movie and were preparing blow up a solar system.

Interestingly enough, The Force Awakens does not have any standout or iconic designs, which is something the Original Trilogy and prequel trilogies both did well. Most of the spaceships in the film are variants of designs from the original trilogy. None of the costumes look especially striking. While I certainly expect to see kids dress up as Kylo Ren in the future, I cannot imagine he will ever match Darth Vader or Darth Maul in popularity.

Another complaint I have is that the film made the vastness of outer space seem really small. Now, I know that Star Wars has never been a hard science franchise – it is better viewed as science fantasy, rather than science fiction – but it is very odd how JJ Abrams made astronomical distances seem very compact. Hyperspace travel takes place almost instantaneously in The Force Awakens. Finn looks up into the sky and watches the capital of the New Republic get blown up while standing on what I thought was a relatively isolated planet. It just feels weird.

By contrast it took hours, at least, for the Millenium Falcon to travel between Tatooine and Alderaan in A New Hope. Even though only three planets appear in A New Hope, the film manages to make space feel big and convinces the audience that the Empire and Rebel Alliance are fighting a massive battle spread across an entire galaxy.

The reason that The Force Awakens does not feel equally grand in scope is not only because it operates on a tiny scale where all of the relevant planets seem to be scrunched together, but also because it lacks context.

I mentioned earlier that The Force Awakens is fairly free of politics beyond “good guys vs evil empire”, which is why it is so accessible. But because of this, we have no idea how the Empire became the First Order. Are they locked in a Cold War with the New Republic? Was the Starkiller Base the means to break galactic detente? Are the Resistance privateers with plausible deniability? I can make guesses, but there is no way to know for sure. And while some questions, like who Rey's parents are, can be drawn out for storytelling potential, basic questions about the setting of the story should instead be answered straight-away.

The prequels are often criticized for their focus on politics, and perhaps rightfully so. That is probably why JJ Abrams devoted little time to explaining the background of the story and instead focused on the action instead. But it is important to remember that politics and lore-building were important to the original Star Wars films because they provided a context for the events contained within. JJ Abrams may have wanted to avoid the pitfalls of the prequels entirely in his attempt to provide a fresh start, but the movie ended up suffering because of it.

The Future:

So was this a good movie? It was. Was it a good Star Wars movie? It was a heck of lot better than the prequels. Was it as good as it should have been? Probably not.

I know that a lot of fans will not really care about the issues that I brought up, or that they may think that I am nitpicking. Maybe they are right. But that's the way I feel, and here's why:

I remember my first experience with Star Wars. I couldn't have been more than six or seven years old. I saw a Darth Vader toy in a Sears Catalog and I asked my mom what it was. She had seen the original movies when they first came out, and she was pretty excited to explain Star Wars to me. I was hooked and became an unconditional fan. I saw all of the prequels. I bought a bunch of the books and joined the official Star Wars fan club (mock if you will, but it was great). I even took my copy of The Star Wars Encylopedia (the big hardcover one) to class for show-and-tell.

Eventually I grew up and became more cynical. I realized that the prequels were not particularly great and George Lucas was more concerned about money at that point in his life than crafting a good story. I quit buying books, let my membership expire, and so on and so forth.

But even then, when I heard that there was going to be a Sequel Trilogy, the fan within me rejoiced. I wanted it to be perfect. Or failing that, really, really good. That was what Star Wars deserved. But, as it happened, it was just passable. The Force Awakens is better than the prequels, yes, but it just doesn't have that same energy and spirit found in the Original Trilogy.

The good news is that Rian Johnson, director of The Brothers Bloom and the time-travel film Looper, has signed on direct and write Episode VIII. Though his body of work is small, it has been well received. He has been given a box of toys and interesting characters to take in whatever direction he sees fit by JJ Abrams. The possibilities are truly endless. And I, for one, am optimistic. Though Episode 7 was less than what I hoped for, the future remains bright for Star Wars.

Eleven Movies You Probably Have Not Seen Which You Really Should

11. Super 8



I saw Super 8 back when it came out in theaters. It was created by JJ Abrams as a homage to Stephen Spielberg's 80's work. If you have seen ET, you will probably recognize that it shares similarities with Super 8; in many ways I see the premise as "what if ET weighed four tons and was a lot more proactive about getting home."

10. The Assassination Bureau



It is a brutal and fitting irony that this movie's theme song is "Life is a Precious Thing." Starring Oliver Reed as the pragmatic leader of an organization of professional murderers and Diana Rigg as a reporter dead set on undermining said-organization, the plot revolves around a madcap dash across Europe after Rigg hires the Bureau to assassinate no one less than their own leader. It must be noted that Oliver Reed was this close to being James Bond, and The Assassination Bureau, a classic adventure film with dark humor, is a tantalizing glimpse at what could have been.

9. The Rutles



Before Spinal Tap there was The Rutles. A fictional band that is suspiciously and almost exactly alike the Fab Four, the history of The Rutles's rise to and fall from fame is cataloged in this mockumentary. The cast includes Monty Python mainstay Eric Idle, and the bizarre humor of the movie is Python-esque. Incidentally, the soundtrack was comprised by longtime Python collaborator Neil Innes (who also stars).

8. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels



Directed by Frank Oz (the voice of Yoda), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is the tale of two conmen who cross wits and eventually meet their match. I don't know what else to say about the plot without giving away the best parts, but what I will say is that the movie is hilarious and well worth a watch.

7. The Haunting



This is an old-school horror movie from long ago and entirely devoid of the computer generated mayhem and jump scares that populate modern horror fare. This movie is fantastic and still holds up today, and is terrifying in a subtle way that leaves audiences wondering just what exactly is going on at the house in question. Also: do not watch the remake.

6. Stardust



I have read both the book and seen the movie, and I like both; notably, the movie has a happier ending. But both versions of Stardust stand on their own, and are great examples of the fantasy genre done right, without ponderous plots and CGI overloaded action scenes. The movie in particular has a great balance of adventure and romance, and uses its fantastic setting to its full extent while not becoming bogged down by it.

5. Quigley Down Under



Like The Man from Snowy River, this movie is a western set in Australia. Starring Tom Selleck as Quigley, it also features one of the earlier performances by Alan Rickman and features some of the best music and action scenes in a western to this day. The showdown at the end is particularly good, with a great twist (which can be seen above), and like much the rest of the movie, conveys tremendous emotional gravitas with excellent acting and smart dialogue.

4. The Informant



This movie is based on a true story, and is about a man so crazy you are never sure if he is even crazy. This is probably one of the more unique movies I have watched, and has some of the most quotable and hilarious dialogue I have heard. Scott Bakula plays an eternally suffering special agent who is driven ever closer to the edge by the increasingly indecipherable actions of Matt Damon's character, the titular informant.

3. Moonrise Kingdom



Moonrise Kingdom is not your typical 'boy meets girl, boy and girl run off into the woods' story. Directed by Wes Anderson, Moonrise Kingdom features Anderson's characteristic idiosyncratic dialogue and humor, great music, and a happy ending. It also has a great soundtrack (par on course for an Anderson film), featuring the likes of Francoise Hardy. Taking place on the New Penzance, the movie features classic performances from Bill Murray and Edward Norton.

2. Any Which Way You Can



This is actually a sequel to Every Which Way But Loose, but I like this one more. Philo Beddoe, a mechanic and boxer with an orangutan sidekick, returns for hilarious shenanigans, including facing off against his self-proclaimed nemeses, the Black  Widows biker gang.

1. Secondhand Lions



This is in my top five movies. It has strong messages about family, brotherhood, fatherhood, and personal honor. I have seen it several times, and there is always something new for me to appreciate about in it. I cannot really overstate how much I love this movie, all I can say is watch it and appreciate it.

Everything I know about Russia I learned on Youtube

Just recently Russia staged a massive military parade to show off their new hardware. For the past decade Vladimir Putin has worked hard to put Russia back on the world stage. Russia has not always had the best luck - they lost major wars to Sweden, France, Britain, Japan, and Germany, and they sold Alaska in what was, retrospectively, one of the worst real-estate deals of all time. Nevertheless, the had strong showings against Napoleon and Hitler and were a world superpower for the latter half of the 20th century, and deserve our respect.

Because of this I have been researching Russia, mainly on Youtube, and I feel that I have learned a lot. So you can learn as well, I have collected what I feel are the most important videos concerning Russian culture so you may view them at your leisure. Enjoy!


10.  Russia in a Nutshell



Reckless motorcycles and unconscious bodies strewn across the street merit no attention in Russia apparently.

9. Russian Darts



The quick and steady escalation of violence clearly shows that the game of darts is far more hardcore in the Motherland than elsewhere in the world. Truth be told, this should not come as a surprise to. The precedent of extreme versions of relatively low-key entertainment had been established by Russian Roulette long ago.

8. The Only Real Way to Disarm a Gun



In case anyone doubts the efficacy of the Russian soldier, this video will set them straight.

7. Putin sings "Blueberry Hill"



Not only does Putin ride shirtless on horseback, he also sings for charity. Sure, he has dictatorial tendencies but he actually doesn't have that bad of a voice.

6. Tsar Bomba



Of course Russia built the world's biggest bomb. This video explains the semi-amusing rationale behind the device: since the Russian's missile accuracy was lacking, they simply built a bomb so powerful that accuracy was not an issue. Fun fact, Tsar Bomba more than 3000 times as powerful as the bomb dropped on Hiroshima.

5. Russian Winnie the Pooh



There is nothing that is not perfect about this video. Whether it's the background that appears to have been sketched in crayon or the harsh cyrillic barking, no detail of Russia's Winnie the Pooh fails to make me laugh.

4. "Baby Ivan Drago"



If you have seen Rocky IV, then I don't need to explain the reference. If you have not, then I guess you can look it up. I'm not sure what makes the video great. Is it the casualness of the dad(?) training his son to be a killing machine, the beastliness of the kid, or the slavic techno playing in the background?

3. Circus Bears



Pop culture has told us that Russians and bears go together like blueberries and cream, and I guess this video proves that supposition correct. And while the moral and ethical implications of bear training for human entertainment is worthy of discussion, for the moment nothing can distract me from the fact that Russians are training bears to ride motorcycles.

2. Road Problems



Have you ever seen that picture of the highway paint job where they painted around the dead cat? If you have not, then you have not wasted enough time on the internet. This video proves that that kind of apathy is not an American phenomenon. I cannot say for certain that this is Russia and not some other slavic country, but I feel like it needed to be here one way or the other.

1."Moskau"



If you were Russian, you might feel insulted that the number one spot is occupied by a German pop band. Like some kind of mad Bolshevik ABBA, Dschinghis Khan prances across the stage in some of the most unlikely costumes devised in known memory, chanting "Moskau!"...I can only hope this is used by Russia's tourist board. Clearly the 70's were too good to last.

Bonus:



Because one German disco band will never really be enough.

10 More Contemporary Musicians You Ought To Listen To

It's been quite a while since my first  list, but I always suspected I couldn't just leave it at a mere ten music groups. There is a lot of good bands out there. So without further delay, let us get started.


10. Matt Mays



Matt Mays is a good ol' boy from Nova Scotia. Before his recent forays into solo recordings, he fronted the band El Torpedo, based out of Cole Harbour. Since disbanding El Torpedo, Mays has continued to write and record music, releasing his first post-El Torpedo album in 2012.

9. Wax Fang



For big fans of prog rock (like myself), Wax Fang is a welcome sound. Hailing from Louisville, Kentucky, Wax Fang can be at times reminiscent of old school prog bands like Pink Floyd (both Gilmour and Waters era) and Crimson King while still retaining their own distinct style, which is more than can be said for other contemporary prog bands.

8. Irish Stew of Sinduin



Irish Stew of Sinduin, usually shortened to just Irish Stew, is what happens when you get a bunch of musically talented Serbians together and form a Celtic band. As far as I am concerned, there will always more room for more celtic style groups. But who would have thought that they would be coming from eastern Europe? Life is grand.

7.  Torres



Mackenzie Scott is not even 25 years old and she has released what is one of my favorite albums to come out in recent years. Seeing as how she attended university in the mecca of American country, she had ample opportunity to hone her musical talent. Her singing, song-writing, and musician-ship are already impressive, so I imagine that as she releases more albums, she will only continue to get better.

6. My Morning Jacket



Another great band from Louisville, My Morning Jacket has delved into a mixture of country and psychedelia. Not a common repertoire, but it seems to work for them. They gotten a well-deserved boost in recognition over the past few years.

5. Angel Olsen



Angel Olsen is the third artist on this list hailing from the American south, specifically St. Louis, Missouri. The first time I heard her was on a radio station broadcasting from Saskatchewan. I thought her music was decent enough to check out further, and so here we are.

4. Boy & Bear



Hey, it's an Australian band! I love Boy & Bear. For reasons unknown I am always getting them mixed up with Blitzen Trapper, which is not fair to Boy & Bear. A collusion of members from different college bands, Boy & Bear kind of runs the gamut in terms of genre.

3. Old Crow Medicine Show



Just above I talked about a band that is pretty successfully at aping prog rock. What amazes me is that not only is prog rock seeing a revival, but so is swing and rockabilly and psychedelic rock, along with every other genre known to the history of man. Bluegrass revival band OCMS formed in 1998 and have been producing great music ever since.

2. First Aid Kit



Have you ever heard Townes van Zandt? He's good, you should listen to him. I have been listening to van Zandt for a few years now and it was really weird when I first heard First Aid Kit. It was like van Zandt's ghost was being channeled by a pair of Swedish sisters in their twenties. Call me crazy, but their syntax and song-writing are uncannily similar. Maybe its just me. Either way they are good.

1. Carbon Leaf



Hey, another Celtic influenced group that isn't from Ireland! Like OCMS, Carbon Leaf has been around longer than most of the other groups on this list but I included them since they are new to me, I like them, and those are all the reasons I need. What's 20 plus years anyways?


That's good enough for now. Maybe I will do another list someday. For now take care, and give these people your money :)

10 Contemporary Musicians You Ought to Listen To

You know, music isn't what it used to be. For the past two decades we have been wandering through what can only be described as a junk heap of mediocrity and nonsensical malaise. We are living in dark times my friends. Nevertheless, I believe that such things come and go in inevitable cycles. Sometimes you have to dig through the junk heap to discover the shiny silver bike that was hiding under there the whole time. I have spent a bit of time doing a little bit of digging, here and there, traveling the interwebs in an electric odyssey, seeking for a reason to believe that there is more to today's music than mass-produced plastic totems which are defiling the airwaves these days. This is what I found.

10. Couer De Pirate



Quebec has blessed us with Beatrice Martin, better known by her stage name Couer De Pirate, pronounced 'car duh peeraht'. She has been gaining popularity since releasing her debut album in 2008. Since that time she has released two more albums.

9. Josh Ritter



Inspired by artists like Bob Dylan since an early age, Ritter's own songs have been covered by the likes of Joan Baez. Before he gained popularity in North America, he gained a fanbase in Ireland, which springboarded him to further success.

8. Yeah Yeah Yeahs!



The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are a band which support the growing theory that music is trending back towards the '80's, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Comprised of Karen O (Orzolek), Brian Chase, and Nick Zinner, they emerged from the New York indie scene back in the early 2000's, and have been going strong since.

7. Nico Vega



Aja Volkman, lead singer for Nico Vega, has a savage quality to her voice that invokes, in my mind, Joan Jett. Nico Vega is an excellent band, and they cover a wide variety of topics. Some interesting trivia about Volkman is that she is married to Imagine Dragon's Dan Reynolds.

6. She and Him



Not surprisingly, Zooey Deschanel, the eponymous 'She', is the more well-known of this particular musical duo. Deschanel met Matthew Ward while working on a film, and the two have collaborated to create a fairly unique take on '50's and '60's bubblegum pop, which has been quite successful.

5. Tame Impala



Tame Impala, the so-called 'psychedelic messiah', is Australia's great gift to us. If I had to describe them, I would say that are what would happen if you put Steppenwolf, The Beatles, and Syd Barrett in a room with lots of acid, and then told them they had twelve hours to create an album. That doesn't, however, do Tame Impala any justice.

4. Lana Del Rey



I could listen to Lana Del Rey for hours. Her voice has a rich quality in it that is lacking in most of today's artists, and her lyrics are very clever. Drawing inspiration from the likes of Elvis, Eminem, and Frank Sinatra, her style is unique to say the least.

3. Kongos



Johnny, Jesse, Dylan, and Daniel Kongos; four brothers from South Africa who have combined to make one of the most fun sounding bands of recent years. They have only become more-widely recognized in the US as of late last year.

2. Lindsey Stirling



At this point, the gospel of Lindsey Stirling has been preached to the ends of the earth to all living creatures. All that remains now is for everyone to choose which side of the line they stand on: Pro-Stirling or Anti-Stirling. Her music is great, covering a lot of genres, and being generally enjoyable to all audiences. She is living proof that Hipsters have come to rule popular culture.

1. Jake Bugg



I was pleasantly surprised when I heard Jake Bugg's music for the first time. I could barely believe he was a contemporary artist. His vocal style is gritty and substantial, and hearkens back to artists of another era. His no-nonsense, driving lyrics touch on relevant topics, and demonstrate a depth of understanding often found lacking in many of his contemporaries.


Alright, good enough. Now give these people your money!

A Quick Goodbye

Well,  it looks like I'm going to be headed out for a couple of years. Best of luck to all of you out there, especially if you stumbled upon this blog. Anyways, I'd better be going. I'll let the Traveling Wilburys play me out. Catch you on the flipside.